World Leaders Build Momentum For Paris Climate Talks

British Prime Minister David Cameron pledged over 20 million pounds in international aid on Friday to help small island states deal with the effects of climate change.

Cameron also committed 5.6 million pounds to island nations to help them manage natural resources and combat pollution, Bloomberg reported. The prime minister made the announcement at a meeting of countries that were former British colonies.

The commitment is just one of several efforts on the part of world leaders to build momentum ahead of the Paris climate talks, which begin next week. The gathering of 196 countries that will attempt to reach an agreement to slow down climate change.

During an appearance at the White House with French President Francois Hollande this week, President Barack Obama said that a climate agreement would be a rebuke to terrorist groups like the self-proclaimed Islamic State.

“What a powerful rebuke to the terrorists it will be when the world stands as one and shows that we will not be deterred from building a better future for our children,” Obama said.

In May, French President Francois Hollande said that an agreement would be a “miracle,” but one that he was confident would happen.

On Thursday, Pope Francis said that it would be “catastrophic” if special interests blocked the countries at the conference from reaching an agreement.

“It would be sad, and dare I say even catastrophic, were special interests to prevail over the common good and lead to manipulating information in order to protect their own plans and interests,” he said during a mass in Nairobi, Kenya.

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